Celery Rémoulade

Sometimes you need to trust the classics.

Two times I found a celeriac in my possession, and two times I let it go to waste. I wanted to use it. I just wasn’t sure I wanted to eat it.

Every article I read about celeriac starts the same way: It’s ugly and unpopular, but I swear you’ll like it! It’s humble, gnarly, and caked in dirt, but just try it! It’s tough and fibrous, but treat it right, and you’ll fall in love.

Celeriac certainly has a small but passionate fan club. But even much-loathed brussels sprouts make it to the table during the holidays (I, for one, adore them), and no one has ever attempted to serve me celery root. I figured that if it actually tasted good, it must be such a pain in the ass to prepare it that it wasn’t worth the time.

A brief rundown of celeriac: It’s a root vegetable, and it’s not simply the root of green ribbed celery, but a related plant. It’s about the size of an oblong baseball (or slightly larger), and it’s covered in twisted, knotted roots that collect dirt. The prevailing flavor is celery, but a milder, nuttier flavor than the crispy stalks provide. Some people taste notes of anise, but I didn’t detect that personally. It’s in the same family as carrots, coriander, cumin, fennel, parsley and lovage. It keeps ridiculously well in your refrigerator; wikipedia says you can get 3-4 months of storage out of it if it doesn’t dry out. I wouldn’t keep one that long, but I mention it to underscore the fact I seriously did not have an excuse for not eating the first two I had; it’s not like they went bad.

I remembered today that I had a third, fragrant celeriac taking up room in my refrigerator thanks to my CSA. Stewart was at the office, so I figured I could scrape the whole mess into the trash and pretend nothing had happened, should something go awry. All I needed was a recipe.

Place salt and lemon juice in the bottom of a large bowl. Rinse the root and remove as much dirt as possible with a brush. Using a large, sharp chef’s knife, remove the skin, cutting away the twisted roots. Working quickly (the root will discolor if exposed to air too long), quarter the root and shred finely in a food processor. Add the shredded celeriac to the bowl containing the salt and lemon and toss well, making sure all of the pieces are coated. Leave to tenderize for 20 minutes while preparing dressing. The lemon juice will protect it from browning.

Place another bowl over a pot of warm water on the stove, warming the bowl (like a double-boiler). Add mustard and water and whisk well. Gently drizzle in the oil and whisk to emulsifyâ€”take your time so the dressing doesn’t “break”. Dribble in the vinegar, whisking all the while. Add salt.

Rinse the celery root with fresh water and dry well, rolling it in paper towels and squeezing out as much water as you can. Put it back in the bowl (dry the bowl, too) and add the dressing and toss well. Fold in the Veganaise and parsley.

You can eat it immediately, but this refrigerates well. The longer it is refrigerated, up to a few days, the more tender the celeriac gets.

Wow, I’ve never tried celeriac raw, but this looks great! It’s also really good if you use it in mashed potatoes, just sub half the potatoes you’d normally use with celeriac. They cook just like potatoes and add a nice subtle flavor.

this post makes me seriously happy because a, i love celery root and b, i actually have one for a change. normally i either roast thin slices with salt, pepper and olive oil, or use it cubed in a soup. i’ve nibbled on it raw before but never in a fancy way, so this is very tempting! *crosses fingers that we have enough dijon*

also, i don’t know if it’s a general or local issue, but sometimes organic celery root is sold that is less than half the size of the familiar “baseball” type, so it may take 2-4 to make this salad if that’s all anyone can find.

I discovered celeriac last winter, and though it’s a bit labor-intensive to prep, what a lovely flavor! I adapted this recipe for celeriac and leek risotto from Epicurious, and it’s great. I had no idea it could be eaten raw, though – I will have to try this.

i just received a celeriac in my CSA box too! although, it was listed as ‘celery root’ so i was led a bit astray–i thought it was indeed the root of the celery plant. i had no idea what i was going to do with the bugger.

i do love me some coleslaw, so between you and julia i just might have to try this recipe.

i think that this may be a way of getting my celery-phobic (seriously, its kind of ridiculous) partner to eat celeriac. I have always wanted to try it but it seem silly to buy some just for me when i’m making food for the two of us. maybe if i tell her its not really celery root…

Celeriac is really popular here in Germany, but I think some people are more sensitive to that “note” of anise that you talk about. I hate anise and I think celeriac reeks of anise, which sucks, because I find the root very interesting, especially after your post!

Where does one go about purchasing a celeriac? I’ve never heard of it. I’m learning about all kinds of root veggies on this blog. ;) I think maybe if I eat more of it, I’ll be healthier and more balanced. That’s just my theory.

oh man, I wish you’d posted this a week and a half ago! I picked up my boxed share (last one!) from my CSA and had no idea what these funny looking things were. Now I know!!! crap. Oh well, I’ll have to see if my organic farmer, Farmer John, has any left at the market tomorrow :)